Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

1. SeymourB

   Aug 8, 2009

   10

   This is by far my favorite DS and Castlevania game. My only complaint would be the ridiculous amount of time it takes to level up; you are This is by far my favorite DS and Castlevania game. My only complaint would be the ridiculous amount of time it takes to level up; you are forced to grind an awful lot to make it past the tougher challenges. And those complaining about the difficulty of the game should just try harder. Truly challenging games are rarities these days, and you're only helping to exacerbate that by complaining to developers. Once I completed the story, beat both secret areas and leveled up to 99, I was able to beat EVERY boss without even getting hit. This game is my idea of a perfect platforming title and the best $30 ever spent.… Expand

   • 4 of 4 users found this helpful
2. jasonc

   Apr 2, 2009

   10

   I brought this game recently, the actual gameplay is brilliant, not massively different from past castlevania games but then this would not I brought this game recently, the actual gameplay is brilliant, not massively different from past castlevania games but then this would not be castlevania if they changed the way it plays out too much. the game bosses are difficult...and i love it!!, a boss is called a boss because hes the big daddy at the end of the level, he's the one the other enemies look up to. this is what we loved about old school 2d scrollers, theres nothing more memorable that kick ass bosses. ok nobody likes being stumped by bosses, but there is always a way, a tactic to beat every boss, when you get it you are pleased and look forward to the next big boss!... aside from GTA:CW this is the next best DS game available, classic 2d scrolling with a few good new features and memorable kick arse bosses you wont forget in a hurry. you gotta love it.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. Vermillion32

   May 30, 2018

   10

   Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia its a must play for castlevania fans.
   
   Although the game is very hard, specially for newcomers, it offers aCastlevania: Order of Ecclesia its a must play for castlevania fans.
   
   Although the game is very hard, specially for newcomers, it offers a great sense of satisfaction (bosses are really hard, but once you get the hang of the game, you will beat them in no time, even with Comfodere), enemies are strong and their resistances are very pronounced like in Portrait of Ruin so you have to be careful on how you use both physical and magical glyphs.
   
   the controlls are tight and the backdash its the best out of all the ds vanias (once you get the moonwalkers you will feel straight like in symphony), you dont have a "super jump" but you do get a flight glyph, you also get Rapidus Fio wich is just like the speed up spell from Portrait, or the Black Panther soul from Dawn/Aria.
   
   The music its amazing (like in most castlevanias), Michiru Yamane´s work its always incredible (the main theme, An Empty Tome, its very good and it plays throughout most of dracula´s castle), and the graphics are really good like in the other ds castlevanias, BUT the art style is better! (i also like the character sprites in this one better).
   
   the story overall its pretty descent, with the belmonts out, other vampire hunters had to stop dracula (like the morris and lecarde from bloodlines and portrait), i think the difficulty its higher because of this (wich would make sence since Ecclesia did not have the whip or the holy items).
   
   Overall the game its a rewarding experience, for experienced players*, its unforgiving and health items are few and expensive, enemies will drop items but the drop rates for good items are very low, Glyphs on the other hand arent that hard to get. Bosses will kill you in seconds if you dont fight them carefully and you level up very slowly, but the game its not a non-stop boss rush, savepoints are well placed (after stage hazards and before bosses) the village has a fountain of infinite hearts and a save point, you get the "Magical Ticket" so you can get to the village in no time, unless you are fighting a boss (in wich case you cant use the item). and once you finish each mission the villagers give you, you get an use/equip item or money! you also get a hard mode (max level 50 and max level 1!!!!) wich buffs all enemies and adds some more and changes their behaviour.
   i really enjoyed every single hour i spent in this game!!… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
5. HansC

   Aug 6, 2009

   9

   This was my first Castlevania game ever. I think the gameplay was really amazing. I enjoyed the boss fights -- I like it when you need to This was my first Castlevania game ever. I think the gameplay was really amazing. I enjoyed the boss fights -- I like it when you need to really think up strategies and practice them a bit before being able to beat a boss. The only thing I didn't like about this game was the story. Imo it's weak, and the pacing is not very well done. To be frank: storywise, I think the second part of the game sucks. Then again, I don't think story is that important in this kind of game. I'm really looking forward to playing the other Castlevania games on the DS. I got a hold of Dawn of Sorrow and am searching for Portrait of Ruin. Order of Ecclesia really got me hooked.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
6. Plasmaneedle

   Mar 16, 2014

   9

   This alongside Dawn of Sorrow is the best Castlevania game since Symphony of The Night. Its challenging difficulty makes it extra rewardingThis alongside Dawn of Sorrow is the best Castlevania game since Symphony of The Night. Its challenging difficulty makes it extra rewarding and its hack n slash gameplay is the best on the DS. And of course there's the great Metroidvania formula that makes the series so popular. Definitely worth your time.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
7. Decemuladores

   Nov 20, 2011

   8

   Konami and Castlevania is like Square Enix and Final Fantasy and the new plot of this Castlevania is envelope as if it were the originalKonami and Castlevania is like Square Enix and Final Fantasy and the new plot of this Castlevania is envelope as if it were the original series. With almost the same formula of the previous but with new touches Order of Ecclsesia represent de best Castlevania in portable console this generation.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
8. AnonTheMouse

   Feb 26, 2020

   2

   Order of Ecclesia is, I'm sorry, a complete mess of a game. Konami seemingly took everything they knew about the Castlevania formula, and thenOrder of Ecclesia is, I'm sorry, a complete mess of a game. Konami seemingly took everything they knew about the Castlevania formula, and then ignored it completely. Whatever was kept, they made a conscious effort to make worse.
   
   Gone are the sprawling, interconnected worlds of previous entries for an overworld map. Need to get quickly to a previous area? Fast travel to the warp point closest to the area exit, then go through several intermediate rooms to said exit, select your destination on the overworld map, walk to another teleporter, find the closest warp point to where you need to go (and hope a convenient warp point exists in the first place), then walk some more. Oh, and heaven help you if you don't remember exactly where you need to backtrack, because area maps are only visible in that area.
   
   Rather than simply picking up things by touching them, and opening containers by hitting them, as every other game in the series does, you must now stop and press up on the control pad. Which, in the case of collecting "glyphs", which take the place of weapons, spells, and subweapons, requires you to stand still whilst unable to defend yourself for several seconds. Not to worry, though, as you won't be collecting glyphs often. Unlike in previous titles, where every enemy had something to collect from it, most enemies now drop nothing, and even those that do seem to have much lower rates than in previous series entries.
   
   Another thing enemies give less of is experience. Leveling up is a slow, tedious chore, especially in the early game. Bad news, since this game demands that you grind. Yes, you might be able to learn to get through some of the tricky sequences by skill, but mastering the game to the degree that you don't need grinding would take even longer - it's just not worth anybody's time. This can make even getting to the second boss a significant hurdle, as leveling takes forever, and you have to go through a completely unnecessary number of straight linear screens full of enemies (what I like to call "Corridors of Pain") to get to the next real map. You're going to end up avoiding most of the enemies on these screens, too, because fighting them at a low level with early equipment is just too much of a health tax for what precious little you'll have.
   
   ...and as an aside, it's not a good sign when the level design feels closer to Castlevania II than any other entry in the series.
   
   You're not missing much. Combat is horrible too. First of all, since Shanoa's ability to use glyphs apparently renders her incapable of holding a real weapon, all of your attacks use a regenerating mana bar. When the mana runs out, you can't fight. There's a "combo" system, but I don't know if you can really call alternating attack buttons to swing while one hand is on cooldown a combo. You could technically mix and match glyphs, but barring some specific combinations, this really isn't useful. Most of the time, you'll just end up using two of whatever it is you wanted to use. Nor are the enemies really updated to make use of this new system. They still behave the same as they did in previous entries, so the best way to fight them is still pretty much the same. All the new combat mechanics add is hassle for the player.
   
   That's really the core problem with Order of Ecclesia. It adds a lot to the Castlevania formula, but none of it is really an improvement. It all just feels like it's there for the sake of being different, without thought into how it makes the experience more fun. I hesitated about reviewing this game because it's held in such high regard, but the truth is, it doesn't deserve the praise. Everything about Order of Ecclesia is superficial. There's added complexity, but not depth. There's added challenge, but it's tedious rather than satisfying. The world feels bigger and the game longer, but only because there's so much padding.
   
   Without giving spoilers, the story...well, at it's core, it's formulaic. We've seen this story before in the Castlevania series. Multiple times. They try to dress it up with the bits about Ecclesia and the glyphs, but it's still rehashing tired tropes and well-trodden ground. At least, the parts that aren't a nonsensical mess. Grant you, it's not uncharacteristically bad for a Castlevania plotline, but there's nothing worthy of praise about it either.
   
   The art design and music are great, but not particularly exceptional for the series. They don't stand out as anything special. Ultimately, I'd say that they just make the game a well-polished turd with a shiny coat of paint.… Expand

   • 2 of 4 users found this helpful

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